Rotary ball-rolling machine



' April 13, 1926.

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`1,580,685 C. H. SCHMIDT ROTARY BALL RoL'qNG MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22, 1924 Patented Apr. 13, 1925.

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m mw -WW CHARLES H. SCHMDT, OF ELZABETH, NEVI' JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 CHROME STEEL i VORKS, OF CARTEREZ?, NEW" JERSEY, A COREORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

.ROTARY BALL-ROLLING MACHIN.

Application filed. May 22,

To all 07m/n if; may concern:

le it known that CHARLES H. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, lresiding at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, has invented certain new and useful improvements in Rotary Ball- Rolling Machines, of which the following is a. sj'iecitication.

My invention relates to machines for forging balls by passing` heated rods or billets between grooved rolls and stationary shoes.

1n machines of this type it is desirable at times to substitute one' slice for another in order to change the passes. ln machines as heretofore constructed, the shoes are arranged external to the rotating drum and a massive flame is required to support the shoes.

The object of my invention is to provide a compact machine vand one in which the stationary shoes may be easily removed and which may be made in a plurality of sec-- tions. l accomplish these purposes by inaking the rotating member in the form of a cylindrical shell internally grooved while the stationary niemeer is mounted withinsaid shell upon a hollow drum keyed to the stationary shaft.

ln the following description l shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views taken adjacent the intake and discharge openings of the machine respectively.

Figure 1- is a vertical `longitudinal sec-v tional view of the machine.

Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 are sectional views taken on the lines 5-5, 6-6, 7--7, and 8 8, respectively of Figure 1. y

The internal stationary men'iber consists of a hollow cylindrical drum 10, having its end walls keyed at 12 to the stationary shaft 14, which is licyed at 15 in the end frame members 1G. rl`he upper portion of the drum is of smaller diameter than the lower portion, thereby forming a semicylindrical recess or seat for the shoes which may be made up of a number of sections `such as 18a 18 18C. These sections may 'be provided with end flanges which overhang die drain which they are assured by boina 1i?, he lower of opv ieee. sei-iai no. 715,215.

posite sections are firmly supported by the shoulders or ledges 21 in the drum.

rlfhe external rotating member consists of a shell each half of which is formed of a plurality of sections 25a, 25b and 25c the two sets being separated by the inlet and outlet openings 26L and 26h. As indicated in Figure 1 the sections of the internal fixed shoe are concentric with the shaft, but the two sets of outer shell sections are op@ the inclined chute 32, the lowermostY rodv being held by the upturned edges of a series of projecting spaced ledges The rotary shell member is provided with projectmg lips 35, rearward of the inlet and outer openings. These lips project into the path of the lowermost rod and as each moves upwardly on the right hand side from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 2, the lips pass between the ledges 34 and lift the lowermost rod, which rolls down into the pass between the outer shell and the inner shoe as indicated in Figure 2.

As the outer shell rotates the rod is first subjected to the shearing action of the ribs and the shaping and forging action of the grooves in the roughing pass of the inner and outer shoes 18a and 25a which may have a contour as indicated in Figure 6. This ligure also shows the manner in which the metal displaced by the ribs is caused to llow inwardly into the deeper portions of the grooves. Since only the outer shoe travels while the inner shoe is stationary, the rod will bc carried around the circumference of the drum at half the speed of the revolving shell and consequently when the shell has made a half revolution so that the opening 26 is at the position indicated at 26h, the rod will be at the point indicated at 30h where it is being subjected to the shaping action of the intermediate pass shoes 18?J and 25d These may have a different configura tion frein the roughing pass shoes, the

grooves being preferably somewhat flatter as indica ted at Figure 7.

`W hen lthe shell has inade another lia-lf revolution so that the inlet opening 25 is back to the -position on the `right hand side, 'the rod will have beenv completely transformed into a series of perfect spherical balls as indicated in Figure S and will be in Athe position indicated on the section line 8-8 of Figure l, the balls then rolling out through the outlet 2Gb. During the latter position of travel the balls traverse the narrow iiinishing pass between the finishing pass slices 18C and 25C. Figure 3 shows the relative position of Ellie inner and outer shoes just before the balls 30 leave the finishing pass. jrt the next instant the outer shoe has .moved so that the outlet opening 25" is opposite 'the balls, that is, into the position indicated at thel left hand side of Figure l.

I have traced the complete cycle of operations for the transformation oi' one rod into balls-Which require-s one complete revolution oi the outer shell. It will be evident, however, that each set of lips 35 picks up a rod as it passes the chute 32 so that a rod -is picked up at every half revol'ii'tion of the shell. I have shown vthe shell provided with two sets of shoes, but it is obvious that the diameter or the inner drum and outer shell could -be made large enough to permit the use of three or more) sets of ball forming slices.

I claim:

l. A ball rolling machine, comprising a rotatable cylindrical shell having a giooved rsose l inner surface, and a statioiiary inner drinn providedwvith grooves upon its outer surliace which cooperate with said grooved inner snriace oi the rotary shell, said outer shell having openings lor the insertion of vthe blank rods and `for the dischargeol the inished balls.

2. In a* ball rolling machine as set Ylortli in claiin l, the outer cylindrical shell beine` SQA ball rolling machine, comprising a rotatable cylindrical shell having a grooved inner surface, and a stationary inner drinn having grooved shoes secured to its periphery, the grooves cooperating with said grooved inner surlace of the rotary shell, said outer shell having openings for the insertion of the blank rods and ior the disycharge of the finished balls.

et. A ball rolling machine, comprising a rotatable cylindrical shell composed ot a plurality ot' sections and end rings to which said sections are secured, and a stationary inner drinn having a portion oit its surface recessed, grooved shoes fitting Within said recess and having their outer surta es grooved to cooperate with the inner grooved surface of the rotary shell, said outershell having openings for the insertion of the blank -rods and `for the discharge of the iinished balls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. SCHMIDT. 

